Proctor & Gamble Productions, the entertainment arm of P&G that sponsors and produces the two longest-running soaps on TV (each on the air for more than 50 years!), has come under fire for a same-sex storyline on As The World Turns. Specifically, for a kiss that occurred between two gay teens on the show.
It's hard for me to believe that the same week The New York Times Magazine ran a cover story on young gay rites (describing them as a natural outcome of the mainstreaming of homosexuality), groups like the American Family Association can still plumb outrage over "open mouth kissing" and try to organize a boycott. Talk about your two Americas.
What does a mainstream marketer like P&G do? In the days before social media, they could provide a fragmented response that would (appear to) cater to the needs of each constituency. This time, they decided to listen. P&G has set up an automated hotline to tally the national pulse on the issue. (1-800-331-3774)
We appreciate you taking the time out of your day to share your thoughts with us.
If you are in support of the Luke and Noah storyline, press 1
If you have concerns about the storyline, press 2
Callers can also voice their opinion on another proposed boycott of MTV and BET's profanity-laced hip-hop programming. It's not a full conversation about the direction of the brand (and honestly, post-Ellen, where is the controversy about depictions of gays on TV?), but it's a start. Even Perez Hilton was shocked.
Misha Cornes
Strategists & Planners